Rishabh Pant creates new wicketkeeping record in Adelaide Test vs Australia

Rishabh Pant has had a great time in the Adelaide Tests. His aggressive batting in both innings, although not pleasing to the eye, signaled the India cricket team’s intent that they wanted to dominate the hosts in their own backyard. His sledges behind the wicket, notably to Usman Khawaja when he said, “Not everyone is like Pujara here”. On the final day, Pat Cummins was on the receiving end when Pant sledged him from behind by saying, “Come on Patty, we need some sixes now”. His stump mic compilation has taken Twitter by storm but on the field, he created a record and entered a prestigious list among wicketkeepers.

When Tim Paine top-edged a pull shot from Jasprit Bumrah, Pant ran to his left and took a smart catch. However, he created history when he caught took the catch of Mitchell Starc to become the first Indian keeper to take 11 catches. The previous record by an Indian wicketkeeper was 10 catches in a Test match by Wriddhiman Saha. The Bengal keeper, who is not in the Australia series due to a shoulder injury, achieved this feat during the Johannesburg Test against South Africa in January. Pant is the third keeper after AB de Villiers and Jack Russell of England to have taken 11 catches. De Villiers achieved this in the Johannesburg game against Pakistan in 2013 while Russell was the first one to take 11 catches against South Africa in 1995, also in Johannesburg.

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Earlier in the Test, Pant became only the fourth Indian wicketkeeper to effect six dismissals in a Test match after Dhoni, Saha and Syed Kirmani. However, Kirmani had taken five catches and had effected a stumping during the Christchurch Test against New Zealand in 1976. Saha also achieved the same thing at North Sound, Antigua when he took five catches and a stumping against West Indies in 2016. Dhoni and Pant are the only Indian keepers to take six catches, with the former India cricket team captain achieving the feat in the 2009 Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

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Pant’s exploits behind the wickets in the Adelaide Test has given Virat Kohli plenty of assurance as they look to win a Test series in Australia for the first time ever.

Keep the volume up and listen to Rishabh Pant carry the commentary for an entire over!

Gavaskar not impressed though! 'Say anything you want to your teammates, not to the opposition,' he says. 🤔#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/vZEWjhixwp

— The Field (@thefield_in) December 10, 2018